A recent article on digiday.com reviewed some of the myths in the ad-tech space and discussed why they are indeed myths. While reading this, I thought about the applicability of this to the online video advertising space. Let’s analyze each myth separately.Myth 1: There’s not enough quality inventory for advertisers.When we talk about online video advertising, I look only at in-stream video ads. And while there is certainly less inventory in video compared to display, video inventory is growing at an amazing pace. Comscore reports that last month Americans viewed 9.5 billion video ads. So basically, in one year, we more than doubled the number of video ad views – incredibly 2.5X compared to April 2011.

Number of Video Ad Views per Month – Based on ComScore’s Monthly Video Rankings Report

In terms of quality of the inventory, I believe it is extremely powerful to get the attention of a viewer for 15 or 30 seconds in a pre-roll ahead of the content the viewer is looking to watch. We’ve seen high engagement rates – without comparison to display ads, which sometimes even appear below the fold. So, at the end of the day, a video ad view is much more powerful than a banner ad impression.

Myth 2: Publishers should worry about programmatic buying.In my humble opinion, publishers should worry if buying is done in the traditional way. Programmatic buying is the only way to maximize the full potential of your inventory. It’s true that today because of the scarcity of good premium content, high-end inventory is easily sold, but with time, advertisers will want to make smarter buys and be willing to pay higher prices for the “right” opportunities.

Myth 3. Ad Tech is too complicated.I believe that the video ad environment is still less complicated than its elder display counterpart. I also believe there will be some consolidation in the next few years. Advertisers would like to manage their advertising budget in a transparent way and be able to transfer funds between channels to areas where they see higher returns per every dollar spent. Today, the market is very fragmented (search, display, social, video, email), but with time, technology platforms will be built to provide a true holistic view on ad spending and returns. Companies, like Google, Adobe/Omniture and others, are already heading in that direction, and video is going to be an integral part of that.Myth 4. Programmatic buying introduces a new set of undifferentiated middlemen. In general, I would like to see fewer players along the value chain and each taking a piece of the action. Fewer hands involved in the process will increase market efficiencies. As they say, “cut out the middlemen.” While many ad-tech companies bring value to the chain, especially in the formative stages of the online video advertising space, it can be hard to distinguish one video exchange from another. Again, ideally, with time as the space matures, there will be fewer middlemen. The online video advertising world is a few steps behind the display banner space. Whether it is 2 years or 5 years behind, it is clear that video is catching up quickly and we here at SundaySky are certainly excited to help shape the future of it.

SmartVideo delivers a compelling, personalized, real-time video experience designed to reach people with what they need to know in the most engaging, entertaining and informative way possible. SundaySky’s innovative convergence of technology and creativity has advanced the use of SmartVideo to more effectively engage people at every step of the customer lifecycle. Follow SundaySky on Twitter and Facebook.

Companies want to prove that business video delivers a measurable financial impact to justify the investment.

In the current online business environment, all companies need to invest in solutions that have a clear and measurable ROI and payback period. Sure, vendors of business video solutions tout the impact of video on targeted business metrics, such as conversion rate, churn rate, engagement rate, call rate, and customer satisfaction as drivers of ROI. But, do they prove that business video is actually delivering these results? If vendors only compare the metrics of video viewers to non-viewers, without controlling for volume of video views and the effects of self-selection bias, the actual ROI results will be inaccurate.

True SmartVideo solutions are designed to address these concerns. Every program starts with defined goals that are measurable. The initial phase of the program includes a persistent control group that separates visitors into a test group (has access to video) and control group (no access to video). Performance of the video group vs. the control group is measured for each metric. This addresses the volume of video views on the total performance and also controls for self-selection bias. The aim is to measure transactional impact (short term) and lifetime impact (longer term) on key metrics.

I’ll use an example to illustrate these points.

A common statement is that “video-viewers convert at 3x the rate of non-viewers”. If non-viewers convert at 2%, this means that video viewers convert at 6%. Without using a control group to address video view rate and self-selection bias, the ROI projections would not be accurate or realistic. Consider the below visual.

This illustration demonstrates the impact of self-selection bias on the test visitors who don’t view video (slightly lower conversion rate) and also reflects the impact of scale of visitors who choose to view the video. Although video viewers convert at 3X non-viewers, the actual lift in conversion is 5% when comparing total video group vs. control group (2.1% conversion rate for the video group vs. 2.0% for the control group).

To effectively measure impact of business video, it is critical to define the success criteria and metrics before kicking off the program. Then, establish a control group to measure the overall effect of video on the target metrics, instead of measuring only actions of video viewers vs. non-viewers.

Is your business video program delivering measurable financial impact? If not, consider adopting a SmartVideo approach.

SmartVideo delivers a compelling, personalized, real-time video experience designed to reach people with what they need to know in the most engaging, entertaining and informative way possible. SundaySky’s innovative convergence of technology and creativity has advanced the use of SmartVideo to more effectively engage people at every step of the customer lifecycle. Our platform generates hundreds of thousands of SmartVideos daily that attract traffic, retarget prospects, convert prospects to customers, support customers and enhance customer relationships. SundaySky SmartVideo users include leading consumer-facing organizations like AT&T, Office Depot and Tiger Direct. Follow SundaySky on Twitter and Facebook.

Comparing wedding videography to wedding photography is realistically unrealistic. Both mediums are trying to tell a story and usually succeed, but one uses motion and sound while the other depends on the skill of the photographer. There are arguments for both as well as those who believe they have to have both at their wedding in order to have their special day fully documented.

However, as the old saying goes too many cooks can ruin the stew. So, in the same way too many photographers and videographers can ruin the wedding. When planning your nuptials having photographic memories will be an important step. Deciding whether you want a photographer or videographer or both will require some serious consideration. Photographs can be placed in an album to present a timeline of the event while creating lasting visual memories while a video of the day can also capture all the sounds of the day.

Many people take the refuge of corporate production companies; especially the elite customers.

Pictures of the speeches given during the reception may spark memories of what was said but a video will provide the words as well as the tone in which they were said. Individual table photos are a nice reminder of what guests were there and with whom they were seated, but a video can provide individual messages from each

of the attendees.

The wedding ceremony is a sacred event and photographers sometimes, determined to get the best shot possible, will interfere with the minister and other members of the wedding party. Videographers are seldom any better as they try to muscle their way into the best possible position. You will need to set the ground rules for either one before the ceremony, and talk to the person officiating, to ensure the ceremony goes off without any problems.

For most couples a wedding is a once in a lifetime event and having the day recorded for prosperity will preserve the countless memories. Most couples go through the day like a whirlwind and memories can be sketchy at best. You also need to consider that the uncle or cousin with a video camera may not capture the best videos or have the aggression needed to get the best possible video of the day.

Today, there are many companies engaged in video marketing and production of niche videos. These companies will make your wedding an everlasting memory.

If you choose to have both a photographer and a videographer, you need to caution them both ahead of time that they need to work together. You are going to pay the bills, usually not inexpensive, and you want the best for your money. Professionals will work together to stay out of each other’s shots so you don’t have them appear in all of your wedding pictures.

The bottom line is when choosing between still photography and video look into the future. Determine if you will want to peruse an album of the day’s memories or pop a disk into the player and be able to relive the entire day. Many couples make the mistake of overkill for their wedding with two or three of each, as though they are putting together a professional production. Sure, they are certain to get every image they want, but usually at the expense of them tripping over each other while they block your guests from seeing what is going on.

About the author: Guest author Jason Phillips is a passionate photographer who can tell tips, tricks and techniques. An in depth look on his photographs tell he is an adept photographer not an amateur one. Visit his site to know more about corporate video production and video marketing.